Dear SCA Families

In a recent newsletter, I shared a story about a Year 1 student who was called a hurtful name, "poo-poo head." I discussed how I helped her build the resilience to manage name-calling, highlighting the importance of these skills in life. While it's crucial for children to know how to handle such situations, it's equally important to teach them not to call others names in the first place. Imagine a world where everyone followed this simple rule—we wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with hurtful words.

However, the reality is that name-calling and gossip are common. Most of us, if we’re honest, have probably used unkind names or spoken negatively about others at some point. No one likes to be the target of such behaviour, yet many of us have been guilty of it. (I wish I could say I’ve never done this myself.)

This week, I’ll be addressing this topic with our Year 6 students. My goal is to educate and encourage them to stop calling each other names and to avoid gossiping or speaking negatively about others. To help guide them, I’ll be using a simple yet powerful acrostic: THINK.

Before speaking about someone, we should ask ourselves:

T: Is it TRUE?

H: Is it HONEST?

I: Is it INSPIRING?

N: Is it NECESSARY?

K: Is it KIND?

As we all know, children — and adults — need repetition and consistent reinforcement to learn and grow. While we continue to emphasise this message at school, I encourage you to discuss it with your children at home. Let’s work together to model this behaviour, teaching through both our actions and our words.

Thank you for your support in nurturing a kinder, more respectful community for our children.

The Resilience Project

On Tuesday, fifteen of our staff travelled to Sydney for a day of professional learning, led by the founder of The Resilience Project (TRP), Hugh van Cuylenburg. This is sure to have a positive impact on our implementation of TRP in every classroom at SCA. An update will be provided in a future newsletter.

Reconciliation Day Public Holiday

The public holiday this week was a time to reflect on our country's history, recognise past injustices, and work towards a more inclusive future.

Reconciliation Day is celebrated annually around 27^th May, marking the start of National Reconciliation Week, which runs until 3^rd June. These dates are significant because they commemorate two important events in Australia's history:

• 27 May, 1967: The referendum where Australians voted to amend the Constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the federal government to create laws for them.
• 3 June , 1992: The landmark Mabo decision, where the High Court of Australia recognised Native Title, overturning the concept of "terra nullius" (land belonging to no one).

On Tuesday our Year 6 students facilitated an activity in each classroom, helping our students to learn about and acknowledge the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In the afternoon we were blessed with a wonderful performance by Indigenous performer, Didjeribone, allowing us to also celebrate the steps being taken towards healing and unity.

Learning Journeys – Tuesday 18^th June

As we near the half-way mark of the school year, our students and staff would like to open our classrooms to share the good work that has been taking place. Please set aside some time on Tuesday 18^th June, between 3.00 – 4.30pm, to visit your child’s classroom and share with them their work. 

Congratulations

Our school has been open, as part of our enrolment process, every Thursday in May. Our Year 6 students have proudly and effectively acted as tour guides for around 30 groups on these days.

I am proud of the Year 6 students for the excellent job they did as ambassadors for our school. The feedback I received from every visitor was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you, and well done, Year 6.

Sunsafe – means no hats in June and July

Because the Cancer Council ACT does not recommend sun protection in Canberra during June and July, SCA does not enforce the wearing of hats during this time. From Monday (3^rd June), the “no hat, no play” rule is shelved for the next two months. Bring on that Vitamin D!

It was once said…

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal

matt.egan-richards@cg.catholic.edu.au